1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to telescoping, linear, slide mechanisms, and relates more particularly to lightweight, structural-reinforcing members adapted to be associated with telescoping or linear, ball-bearing, slide mechanisms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known in the art, various types of sliding mechanisms are presently available. However, several problems and difficulties are encountered in providing the necessary structural strength and load-carrying capacity when these mechanisms are used to carry and support large moving structures such as heavy doors, partitions, electronic packaging, copying machines, door movements and appliances.
In order to meet specific design requirements relating to sliding structures as mentioned above, these mechanisms or devices must operate continuously, smoothly, and efficiently, even under difficult conditions, such as in carrying heavy-load structures which must frequently be moved from one position or location to another.
Slide devices such as those generally known to be associated with cabinet structures and the like for attachment to drawers, etc., have been found to be very useful for use with slidable, hanging doors and partitions. However, these hanging structures are of such weight and size that the average designed sliding units cannot continuously support said structures. Hence, the structural strength of the slides must be changed to allow for greater load-carrying capacity. Providing larger and heavier material would not solve the problem--it would only add to it. Changing the material of the slide members to a soft, lightweight kind such as an aluminum alloy would also present inherent wear problems, wherein the steel balls, being of harder material than the softer aluminum alloy, will gall into the soft aluminum ball raceways and/or Brinnel into the ball raceways, thereby shortening the life expectancy and eventually causing the slide to be unuseable.
Others have tried various methods of obviating the above problems--one such method being the forming of an aluminum, extruded, ball-bearing slide by inserting into the extrusion, for ball-race purposes, a thin strip of steel in order to give this extruded aluminum ball slide a long wearing characteristic, etc.
However, by inserting these thin strips of steel into the extrusion, the strip thereof is subject to loosening when the ball bearings continuously traverse back and forth thereon.